Summer has officially descended into chaos at London’s major airports and highways as thousands of travelers attempted to kick off their vacations. The usually busy Heathrow Airport was evacuated after a fire alarm went off, causing long lines at passport control. This came on the heels of a day filled with train cancellations, road closures, and campervan fires.
As families made their way back from summer break, chaos erupted at Heathrow Terminal 3. A section of the terminal was cleared due to safety concerns after a fire alarm went off shortly after 11 am. Travelers took to social media to share their frustration, with one Virgin Atlantic passenger tweeting that the line for passport control had backed up “literally the entire terminal” because of the fire alarm.
The congestion didn’t stop at Heathrow. The M11 in Essex was closed in both directions near Stansted due to a multi-vehicle collision, causing seven-mile queues. Meanwhile, a points failure at Haywards Heath affected train services run by Gatwick Express, Southern, and Thameslink, leaving travelers stranded. And to make matters worse, four Hull Trains services were canceled due to strike action.
But it wasn’t just the roads and trains that experienced disruptions. A campervan caught fire near junctions 15 and 16 of the M4 and M40, causing lengthy delays for drivers on the M25 in Buckinghamshire. And in Kent, cars were stuck in a slow-moving queue trying to access the Port of Dover.
The RAC estimates that nearly 2.7 million leisure trips were made today, with over 270,000 more anticipated this weekend and over 40,000 cars expected to pass through the Port of Dover alone. With traffic expected to be at its worst around midday, drivers are advised to leave as early or late as possible.
The summer vacation chaos is set to continue over the next few days, with Saturday predicted to be the single busiest day for summer traffic. So, if you’re planning on hitting the roads or skies, be sure to plan ahead and allow plenty of time for your journey.
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